Meta’s WhatsApp messaging app could soon face greater scrutiny (and sanctions) under the European Commission’s Digital Services Act, Reuters reports. Because the app’s broadcast functionality WhatsApp Channels grew to approximately 51.7 million average monthly active users in the European Union in the first six months of 2025, the feature crossed the 45 million mark enabling DSA rules to be enforced.
A platform is referred to as a “very large online platform” or VLOP once it has 45 million monthly users or more, according to the European Commission. Once an application or service exceeds this amount, it is subject to the DSA and all its rules on the operation of digital platforms, particularly regarding the removal of illegal or harmful content. Companies can be fined up to six percent of their global annual turnover for failing to comply with the DSA.
WhatsApp traditionally functions as a private messaging app, but its Channels feature, which allows users to post one-sided messages to anyone who follows their channel, is much more similar to Meta’s other social media platforms. “We would therefore potentially designate WhatsApp for WhatsApp channels here and I can confirm that the Commission is actively studying the matter and I do not rule out a future designation,” a Commission spokesperson told a daily press briefing. Reuters seen.
Engadget asked Meta for comment on WhatsApp’s possible new designation. We will update this article if we receive a response.
The possibility of WhatsApp becoming a regulatory target in the EU was first reported in November 2025, but Meta faced DSA-related fines well before then. The meta was accused of violating EU law in October 2025 due to the way it asks users to report illegal content on Facebook and Instagram. Earlier that month, a Dutch court also ordered the company to change the way it presents deadlines on its platforms, because the Dutch were not “sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices regarding the use of profiled recommendation systems” in the company’s applications.
